I am in favor of advancing the research on Venus. It’s harsh environment scares many to conduct ground research on the planet. The following article made me think of a possible Venus research base. Mystery of Puzzling Temperature Distribution in the Venusian Polar Regions (A unique characteristic of the atmospheric structure observed in the Venusian is the cold polar vortex surrounding the warmer polar vortex.)
Unlike traditional ground research bases, this will be a floating one. It will be moving around the Venus atmosphere. The findings show cool regions on Venus’s atmosphere which would be suitable for most electronic equipment and mechanical parts.
The floating base would be made of multiple sections like the International Space Station. It would be robots only base to reduce weight and complexity. The harsh winds of Venus would allow renewable energy source. Additionally, elevated location of the base reduces the propellent requirement for the deployment rocket. Venus’s atmosphere contains sulfuric acid and carbon dioxide. Sulfuric acid can be electrolyzed to extract hydrogen which then be combined with carbon dioxide to yield methane and oxygen, the rocket propellent.
In order to locate possible regions for such a base, a flying explorer should be send in advance. I had previously proposed such a balloon Venus explorer. I have new ideas on that and will share it next.
No comments :
Post a Comment